Launch of COVID-19 vaccination of transport workers at the Paranaque Integrated Terminal Exchange

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Art Tugade has ordered the strict implementation of health and safety measures in public transport facilities as he led the pilot COVID-19 vaccination of transport workers at the Paranaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) on Saturday, 31 July 2021.

“Mahalaga po para sa atin na masigurong bakunado ang ating mga bayaning transport workers, lalo na at iba't-ibang lugar ang kanilang pinupuntahan, gayundin ang mga taong kanilang nakakasalamuha sa araw-araw,” the Transportation Chief said during the kick-off ceremony.

The vaccination drive dubbed as “TsuperHero: Kasangga ng Resbakuna” will inoculate public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers, conductors, and other transport workers through a partnership among the DOTr Road Transport Sector, the Department of Health (DOH), the Mega Manila Consortium Corporation (MMCC), the Parañaque City government, and the PITX.

The MMCC converted five buses of which three units are being utilized to inoculate at least 1,000 transport workers every Saturday to reach its minimum target of 6,000 vaccinees.

The Parañaque City government provided the first batch of vaccines while the remaining vaccines needed for the vaccination drive will be sourced from the national government, under the nationwide vaccination program, through the help of the DOH’s Metro Manila Center for Health Development.

The Parañaque City Health Office also provided the needed medical personnel who will serve at the screening, vaccination, and post-vaccination stations.

Along with the vaccination of transport workers, Tugade also announced that PITX, represented by Megawide Chairman Edgar Saavedra, heeded his call to waive terminal fees for buses and jeepneys at the PITX will starting Monday, 02 August 2021, to cushion the impact of the pandemic on the public transport sector until travel restrictions are eased.

Meanwhile, Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez said the initiative will surely hasten the city’s goal of achieving herd immunity as 250,000 residents have already been vaccinated.

“This help from the DOTr and the IATF is a big step for the city to achieve its goal of herd immunity. Any form of help is welcome and hugely appreciated as the struggle felt by Filipinos due to the pandemic needs to be stopped immediately,” Mayor Olivarez said.

The vaccination program for transport workers will initially be done in Metro Manila and in nearby cities. It will be later implemented in other regions to cover remote areas.

5 Reasons to Be Optimistic about the Post-Pandemic Philippine Economy

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

It’s easy to get sucked into a cycle of negativity when faced with once-in-a-century disaster like the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the country has arguably survived much worse disruptions in the past. This time around, chances are the country will emerge stronger than ever before. Below are just some of the reasons to be optimistic about investing in a post-pandemic Philippines.


1.) We’ll Exit the Pandemic with a Better e-Commerce Sector

For years, the Philippines has, lagged behind its neighbors in e-commerce adoption, despite being a leader in social media use. However, the pandemic finally forced many Filipino consumers, businesses, and policymakers alike to jump aboard the e-Commerce train. Having experienced the benefits of eCommerce for the first time, few would want things to go back to the way they were.

At least, it seems that major investors believe this to be the case, as a growing portion of industrial land is starting to be dedicated to data centers and new domestic online customer service facilities. Emergency reforms meant to address the country’s status as a regional laggard have also enabled modest gains, particularly in internet speeds.

As the country moves toward a post-pandemic environment, we are likely to see continued adoption of e-commerce innovations that so many of us were reluctant to try out in previous years. If previous patterns in other emerging economies hold true, this increased adoption is likely to spur more domestic innovation in the future.

2.) The Philippines’ Continues to Have Strong Economic Diversity

Though many Filipinos may not realize it, services and high-tech exports are now the biggest contributors to our GDP. While COVID-19 has almost completely upended tourism, traditional retail, and many other parts of the service industry, most others were able to pull through or even make significant gains.

To add to that, more established sectors like high-value agriculture and natural resource exploitation continue to generate gains for the economy. Add our strong foreign inflows, thanks to our OFWs, and you have an economic setup that’s far more resilient to disruption than most other comparable countries. This diversity will likely continue to be a strong point in the unfortunate event of future global disruptions.

3.) Progress With Infrastructure Continues

Much ado has been made about the trillions in debt that the country has incurred to complete various major infrastructure projects and the additional trillions that had to be borrowed to deal with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The ultimate effects of this are infinitely arguable.

However, what is clear is that these infrastructure projects are likely to make lives easier and attract additional domestic and international investment, at least over the next few years. If the current thinking on infrastructure spending proves correct, then we are likely to see these projects generate healthy returns within the decade.

4.) FDIs Are Already Returning

Despite what your Facebook feed might be telling you, foreign investors are already returning to the country. While not in the droves that were coming in during the first quarter of 2020, the number of FDI commitments that have already been made—at the height of the pandemic no less—is nothing to sneeze at, and they are likely to increase again as the world recovers.

While the continued investment may be somewhat surprising, given the government’s less than stellar handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, a few things did work in our favor. Our geographic fragmentation and decades of investment outside of pandemic-ravaged Manila helped offset many of the losses that would have otherwise happened had we had a more concentrated economy.

Additionally, it seems most foreign investors are generally unconcerned with petty politics unless it affects their ability to make money. Most of them don’t have a bone to pick with whoever happens to be in power and, for better or worse, are only concerned with the bottom line. And for now, COVID or not, it seems to them that they could make money here,

5.) We Have a Demographic Advantage

The Philippines has a young, highly educated population, steeped in Western values, and with an above-average command of English. We can argue about the state of public education all we want, but the fact remains that we continue to attract investment precisely because of these demographic benefits.

Our comparative English mastery and familiarity with Western values offer advantages well beyond simply attracting call center investments. Proper communication is paramount for manufacturing, marketing, and virtually every other high-value economic activity, and we are well-poised to make full use of these strengths in comparison to our neighbors.

Through a combination of luck, foresight, and deft management, the Philippines is likely to be in a reasonably good position to grow in the years after the pandemic. The calamity itself may have provided the impetus to shore up various deficiencies in our economy’s infrastructure investments and eCommerce adoption.

Coupled with a young, creative, and English-proficient population, we are well-positioned to not only recover from the ravages of COVID-19 but also to gain significant high-value domestic and overseas investments as well.

Successful landing at the Bicol International Airport

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Art Tugade marked a historic milestone by successfully landing at the Bicol International Airport (BIA) in Daraga, Albay from Manila on Friday morning, 30 July 2021.Wazzup Pilipinas!?

Tugade, aboard Gulfstream 150, landed on the BIA runway at past 8:00 a.m.

The probing flight fulfills Secretary Tugade’s promise to return to the province by end of July and land on the airport’s runway. The momentous activity also aims to prove that the gateway remains on track for its target completion by September 2021.

Tugade added that he also intends to check the ongoing progress of the airport, which now stands at 90% completion rate.

Shortly after landing, Secretary Tugade led a site inspection of the airport together with other transport officials and local government leaders, including Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) Director General Capt. Jim Sydiongco, Albay 2nd District Representative Joey Salceda, Albay Governor Al Francis Bichara, AKO BICOL Partylist Representative Alfredo Garbin, Daraga Mayor Victor Perete, and Legazpi City Mayor Noel Rosal.

Among the facilities inspected were the gateway’s runway lights, arrival area, check-in counters, and pre-departure area.

Meanwhile, during the press briefing that followed the inspection, Secretary Tugade expressed optimism that the airport project will be finished on time. He likewise shared how meaningful the test landing was for him as the airport project suffered various challenges and setbacks during the period of construction.

“Alam niyo ‘ho ba kaninang magla-landing kami at pinipilit nila na ipakita sa akin ‘yung runway, nagpalakpakan ‘ho lahat ‘yung mga kasama ko, na kung saan ‘yung palakpak na ‘yun, hindi lang ‘ho tumayo ‘yung balahibo ko – lumuha ako,” Secretary Tugade said.

“Alam niyo ‘ho kung bakit? Marami ‘ho kaming dinaanan na problema at difficulties dito. Nagkaroon ng sunog dito – nasunog ‘yung equipment sa construction. Nagkaroon ‘ho ako ng Congressional hearing, alam ni Congressman Garbin ‘yan, na kung saan ako’y pinatawag at pinag-eksplika. Ang lagi ko lang sinasabi: ‘Bayaan niyo lang ‘ho kami magtrabaho – gagawin at gagawin namin ‘yan. 25 years ago pa po ito pinagpaplanuhan at hinihintay ng ating mga kababayang Bicolano. At ngayon, sa wakas ay matatapos na,” he added.

Meanwhile, CAAP Director General Jim Sydiongco assured that with non-stop construction ongoing, the Bicol International Airport will be technically operational for commercial aircraft for day operations by 07 October 2021 and will be night-rated by 04 November 2021.

“To safely operate the airport, the DOTr and CAAP will continue to be steadfast in pushing for the finalization of these necessary activities, not only to support the administration’s Build, Build, Build program, but also to achieve our goal of providing a safer and more comfortable travel experience to Filipinos,” DG Sydiongco said.

Touted as the country’s “Most Scenic Gateway” with the iconic Mayon Volcano for its backdrop, the Bicol International Airport is expected to accommodate a total of 2 million passengers per year once it is fully operational. 755 jobs were given to locals during the construction phase, while 1,100 more indirect jobs are expected to become available once the airport begins commercial operations before the end of this year.